Lagatar24 Desk
Ranchi: In a significant political development in Jharkhand, two former Chief Ministers—Madhu Koda and Champai Soren—along with expelled Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Lobin Hembrom, have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This comes just a day after Champai Soren made headlines by resigning from the JMM and switching allegiance to the BJP.
Champai Soren, a veteran politician, left the JMM citing dissatisfaction with the party’s current leadership and feeling “bitter humiliation.” His defection to the BJP is seen as a strategic move to bolster the party’s influence among the Scheduled Tribes (STs), a crucial demographic that has traditionally supported the JMM.
The following day, Madhu Koda, another former Jharkhand Chief Minister, along with Lobin Hembrom, a prominent tribal leader expelled from the JMM, also joined the BJP. This shift in political allegiance is expected to have a significant impact on the tribal vote bank, which has been a stronghold for the JMM.
Addressing the media after joining the BJP, Lobin Hembrom expressed his continued reverence for JMM founder Shibu Soren, stating, “We worked with loyalty in JMM. We are still devotees of Guruji (Shibu Soren). He taught us to oppose the wrong… we tried to take JMM to reach one goal. We had believed in Hemant that the tribals would get justice and development; today, the bow and arrow have no power.”
Hembrom’s remarks reflect the growing dissatisfaction within the JMM ranks, particularly among tribal leaders who feel that the party’s current leadership has failed to deliver on promises of justice and development for the tribal communities.
The BJP, on the other hand, sees this influx of prominent tribal leaders as a crucial step in strengthening its presence in Jharkhand, a state where tribal votes play a pivotal role in electoral outcomes. With the 2024 general elections on the horizon, these defections could significantly alter the political landscape in the region.
